Becoming a Snake
by IrishWonder
Summary: The summer after the D.O.M Hermione Granger is looking forward to a family vacation when she is taken from her home. She finds out she's not who she thought she was. What happened to her when she was only a toddler and what does the Order have to do with it? HG/DM, Lots of Order bashing later on so if you don't like it don't read it!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing except of course the plot ;)_

_A/N Hey guys here is my first shot at Fanfiction. I really only have time to write on the weekends but I will try my best to get out at least 2 chapters a week. Please review it inspires me!_

_A/N Part 2! After I posted this I noticed several mistakes so I went through to fix them lol_

* * *

_Blonde curls in a tiny first, a bright smile and honey eyes, Screams, flashes of green light. A woman picked up the child running down the hall and slipping into a small closet. The woman was trying to hush the child but the screams and yells were growing closer. "I love you" the woman whispered. The small child looked up with confused eyes as the woman slipped out the door. The child saw a bright green light burst through the cracks of the door. The small girl peered around the door which was left slightly ajar. Blonde curls fanned across the cold stone floor and the honey eyes no longer held any light. "Momma?" The door was thrown open and the girl was snatched up screaming and kicking calling for her mother._

Hermione Granger snapped her eyes open, her forehead glistening with the sweat that had beaded up during her nightmare; the same one that had plagued her for as long as she could remember. She groaned and swung her legs over so that her toes just barely grazed the wood floors as she sat up. She rested her head in her palms and tried to ignore the pounding in her head that always seemed to accompany her nightmares. She slowly stood up and crossed the room to her desk where she grabbed a couple aspirin and popped them in her mouth and followed them with a sip of water that was sitting on her bedside table. Just as she was about to head downstairs there was a tap at her window. She smiled as she crossed to the window to let in Hedwig. Hermione took the letter from the snowy owl and gave her a bit of cracker to which she hooted and took back off through the window.

Hermione sat down on her bed and opened the letter.

_Hermione,_

_I'm glad to hear you're doing well things are fairly boring here. Wish I could come with you to Greece! Really I wish I could be anywhere but at the Dursely's right now. Well have fun on your trip. See you at Kings Cross! _

_Harry_

Hermione smiled and put the letter in her trunk with the others and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. She could smell the bacon that her mother was cooking and followed her nose to the table where she plopped down and popped a piece in her mouth.

"Good morning darling are you all packed?" Her father placed a small kiss on her forehead as he took the seat next to her.

She nodded and grinned "My bags are in my room ready to go!"

Her father returned the goofy grin and opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a hard knock at the front door. Looking confused her father got up and left the room to answer it. Hermione mentally shrugged and piled some eggs on her plate.

A scuffling sound came from the entry way and suddenly a bright red light flashed through the hall. Jean Granger gasped as two masked men barged into the kitchen. Hermione was on her feet in seconds but she had left her wand in her room. She watched as her mother was hit in the chest with a stunner and the two men turned to face her. One of them lunged for her but she managed to dodge and tried to make a break for the stairs to get to her wand. The one who had lunged for her cast a tripping jinx as she reached the base of the staircase and she fell and hit her head on one of the stairs disorienting her.

"The Dark Lord does not want her harmed you idiot!" A familiar voice hissed.

Hermione looked up trying to see through her blurry vision and caught a wisp of blonde peeking through the hood of the robe.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione tried to keep her eyes focused but could feel herself losing consciousness, blackness was creeping up and before she knew it, it took over completely.

* * *

Hermione woke in a panic, she searched frantically for her wand before she realized that it was nowhere to be found and that she was in a strange place. She was lying in an ornate four poster bed in a large room decorated in deep purple and silver. She took in her surroundings; quickly trying to find the best exit. To the right of the bed were large French doors that led to a balcony overlooking a pond and flower garden. Looking down she realized that it was too far to jump and escape unscathed. Directly in front of the bed were two doors. Choosing the one to the right she cracked open the door to find a large bathroom that rivaled the prefects bathrooms at Hogwarts. Quickly glancing around the room, she saw that there was no possible escape through there.

She quietly closed the door and stepped up to the one on the left and that's when she heard them; hushed voices through the door. She placed her ear against the crack and strained to hear what was being said.

"She should be awake soon Lucius and the Dark Lord is on his way as we speak. He is not going to be happy that she was harmed." It was a woman's voice. One that she knew she had heard before but could not place. And she was speaking to Lucius Malfoy. She knew that he was one of the two who had taken her.

"The blame for that lies with Dolohov, that blundering fool is too careless with his wand." Lucius' reply came out as a hiss.

"Let's hope our Lord sees it that way."

Hermione backed away from the door, full blown panic beginning to sink in. Lord Voldemort was on his way here! She had to find a way out before she lost her chance. She ran back over to the balcony and peered over the edge debating if the jump would be worth it. She had to be at the very least 3 stories high.

Maybe if she could hit the ground in a roll she could make it. Just as she had made up her mind to at least try a voice came from behind her.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you dearie." Hermione turned and stood face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Watch me." Hermione turned back around and took a leap over the barrier. For a brief moment she felt herself falling then a force yanked her backward pulling her back into the room where she landed sprawled on the floor.

"I did tell you not to try. There is a ward placed around the entire manor just to keep you inside." Bellatrix looked at her with a smirk but there was a flash of something else in those dark eyes. It almost seemed like pity but it couldn't be. A woman like her couldn't feel such emotions.

Hermione, still in a heap on the floor, finally gave in to the tears that had been threatening her since she woke up. She brought her knees to her chest and openly sobbed; rocking herself back and forth slightly. Bellatrix let her cry for a moment before kneeling down and grabbing her chin in a surprisingly gentle manner.

"You look so much like her." Hermione looked up and suddenly pure rage shot through her. She spit in her face and tried to stand. But before she could she was knocked back down by a hard slap to the face.

"The Dark Lord is ready for you. Pull yourself together and follow me." She wiped the spit off her cheek and roughly grabbed Hermione by the arm and shoved her through the door on the left.

The room turned out to be a sitting room of sorts but Hermione didn't get much of a chance to look around as she was quickly led through another door at the end of the room. She was dragged through a corridor and through large oak double doors and into what appeared to be a ballroom.

Standing in the middle of the room was Lord Voldemort. Hermione gasped when she saw him. Never had she seen a man look so unhuman in her life. His skin looked almost scale-like and there were only slits where his nose should be. But the worst of it all were the eyes; red, red like blood. And worse yet he was smiling. It looked so unnatural for that face to smile.

She trembled in fear as she was forced to her knees in front of him.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor….. daughter."


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot_

_A/N Well here is Chapter 2 Please please leave a review even if it's some constructive criticism! Whelp hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

Deafening silence filled the ballroom; Hermione unable to process what was just said. Her mind had gone completely blank. All she could do was stare at the man before her. She jumped slightly as high pitched laughter filled the room, echoing off the walls. The Death Eaters in the room joined in rather nervously. Voldemort suddenly stopped and the room fell silent once more.

"Yes, Hermione. You are indeed my daughter. Did you really think that a mudblood could possess the raw power that you so obviously emanate?" He paused to see if she would reply but she was still in a state of shock.

"Leave us." His voice was quiet but firm. Bellatrix looked like she might protest but thought better of it and turned on her heel and followed the rest of the inner circle out of the room.

Hermione twitched when she heard the doors close behind them. She was now completely alone with Lord Voldemort.

"Stand."

Hermione obeyed instantly. She would not risk disobeying him while unarmed. She slowly and painfully got to her feet and attempted to stand tall. Her head was still pounding from her impact with the staircase and she felt very dizzy, causing her to sway slightly on her feet. Suddenly he was upon her; his eyes wild with fury.

"Who hurt you?!" He demanded.

Hermione was taken aback both by his proximity and the question. She stumbled back a few steps before slowly replying.

"Dolohov."

Voldemort looked thoughtful for a moment. "He shall be punished."

The tone of his voice was deadly and soft at the same time. In that moment Hermione was more afraid than she had been in her entire life. She could feel the rage flowing off him in waves. She was rooted to the spot as he began to pace.

She watched him for a moment before his previous words resurfaced in her mind. He had called her daughter but that simply could not be true. It had to have been some kind of mistake. They had her mixed up with someone else. She was Hermione Granger, daughter of Jean and William Granger, muggleborn and best friend of Harry Potter. There was no feasible way that she could be related to this monster. She had to find a way out of here.

As if he was reading her thoughts, Voldemort was suddenly facing her again.

"There is no way to escape daughter so you would do well to take that thought out of your mind." Hermione looked down to her feet when he spoke, she couldn't look at him anymore it was too terrifying.

"I am not your daughter. I am Hermione Granger." She grit her teeth as the words came out. Anger started bubbling up again and she was starting to gain her courage now that she wasn't caught in the blood-red gaze of the man before her.

"That is where you are wrong. You were taken from me when you were very young and I have taken you back. You are Hermione Riddle, you are my heir."

"NO!" Hermione, without thinking, attempted to run to the double door. In the back of her mind she knew it wouldn't work but all she wanted was to get away from him. When she reached them she pulled with all her might but the doors would not budge. She screamed in frustration and pounded her fists against the solid wood.

A hand grabbed her arm and spun her around so that she was once again face to face with her worst nightmare. His face was mere inches from her own.

"You are mine, and I will keep you."

Before she knew what she was doing she slapped him hard across the face. She the fury in his eyes as he brought up his hand struck her. She fell to the ground once again as he called for Bellatrix.

"Take her to her room." He ordered.

"Yes my lord." Bellatrix once again grabbed Hermione by the arm and hoisted her to her feet and led her out of the ballroom.

* * *

It had been three days since she had arrived and she hadn't left her room once since she had been in the ballroom. Her meals were brought in by house elves but she didn't eat. She simply had no appetite, today like every day since the ballroom day she was just staring out of her window lost in thought.

What had become of her parents? They were stunned the last she remembered but knowing the Death Eaters they were probably killed. She wept thinking of them, she wept for what she had had and what she had lost. Voldemort was not her father, of that she was sure. Her father was the man who softly kissed her scraped knees, who held her close when she would cry, the man who had always been there for her no matter what.

She knew her friends were not coming for her, they thought that she was on holiday that they would see her on the train. The Death Eaters had to have known this, their timing was too good for it to have been otherwise.

A knock came to her bedroom door but Hermione ignored it as she always did. Every now and again a knock would come to the door and either Lucius or Narcissa Malfoy would enter the room, most likely to make sure she was still alive.

She heard the door open but did not waver her gaze. She watched as a small bird flew around the garden. Oh how she wished to be that bird free to come and go as it pleased. She sighed inwardly she had cried all her tears and had no more to shed but her heart still ached with grief and loneliness.

She then realized that she had never heard the door close again, whoever it was, was still in the room with her. Slowly turning around she saw that Bellatrix was there leaning against the door frame arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"You cannot just sit in here and let yourself waste away you know." She walked past Hermione shoving a plate into her hands and then sat on the window sill still facing the confused girl. "Eat."

Hermione looked down at the food on the plate and placed it on the small desk in the corner of the room. "I'm not hungry." She sat down on her bed looking pointedly away from Bellatrix.

"Well I am not leaving until I see you finish what is on that plate so I suggest you start."

Hermione remained unmoving. She just wanted to be left alone was that too much to ask? She heard Bellatrix sigh and stand crossing to the desk and picked up the plate of food. She then set the plate on the bed next to her along with a small leather bound book and left the room.

When she heard the door close Hermione's eyes wandered over to the small book. She ran her fingers across the smooth leather before lightly picking up the book and opening it to the first page. Her breath caught as looked upon an old photograph. A young woman with blonde curly hair and honey eyes held a small baby with matching eyes and curls only the baby's curls were a sandy brown. The woman was smiling and waving as the child pulled on her mother's curls to watch them bounce. Below the picture written in an elegant script were the words; _Mira and Hermione Riddle– France - January 1980_

Hermione stared in shock at the photograph. She knew this woman; this was the woman in her nightmares, the one who was killed trying to save a child, this child. Hermione wanted to snap the book shut but her fingers had a mind of their own. She turned the page and the next picture was almost as shocking. This one was slightly older and showed Bellatrix hugging the blonde woman, large grins spread across both of their faces. They were laughing and spinning around; they were wearing Hogwarts robes Bellatrix in Slytherin and Mira in Ravenclaw. Hermione recognized the lake they were standing by it was the lake at Hogwarts.

She turned the next page and there was a picture of a young man with light brown hair and crystal blue eyes, he was extremely handsome. Hermione knew instantly who this man was. This was Tom Riddle. He had his arm around the shoulders of Mira, she was smiling happily at the camera a small bundle in her arms and Tom was looking down at the babe with a look in his eyes that Hermione never would have thought possible from such a cruel man. He was looking at her with love; love and adoration as he smiled down at his child.

Hermione quickly closed the book and dropped it like it was burning her. So Voldemort had once known love. That much was evident but what had happened that had turned him so far from that young man in the photograph? Could that baby truly be herself?

No, they may share the same name but that child could not possibly be her. She was Hermione Granger, mudblood. Voldemort was mistaken, he just had to be.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days Bellatrix brought her meals and would stay until she was sure she had eaten and then leave again. No words were exchanged, they just sat there in silence until the plate had been cleared, and then Bellatrix would nod and leave the room, leaving Hermione to sit lost in her thoughts once again.

Hermione was certain now that she would never leave this place. But what she didn't understand was if Voldemort truly thought that she was his daughter why he would keep her locked away, why he had not bothered to even see her since their first encounter.

A knock came to her door, but knowing who it was Hermione stayed silent as she always did. Bellatrix entered the room with a plate of food, set it next to Hermione and sat at the desk just like always. Hermione gradually began to pick at her food but suddenly she felt the desire to ask a question.

"You knew her, this Mira right?" Hermione's voice was dry and soft from lack of use.

Bellatrix cocked her eyebrow at the question but eventually answered.

"Yes, we were very close." She paused for a moment and then added, "She loved you very much."

Hermione couldn't help herself as words began to flow from her mouth. "She was not my mother, I am not _his_ daughter and I most definitely won't give him or anyone the satisfaction of giving to you murderers!"

"And this supposed light side is so much better is it? You want to know what happened to her, to your mother? She was killed by Sirius Black and you were snatched up by your best friend's father. Yes that's right. And I killed my beloved cousin to avenge her death. Think about that before you decide what side of this war you want to be on!" Bellatrix then stormed out of the room leaving Hermione seething and in tears once again.

Hermione flew into a fury and began destroying her room. She ripped down the curtains that hung around her bed and windows and threw the plate against the wall causing it to shatter. She was distraught that she didn't even notice someone slip into her room until a voice interrupted her.

"I think…daughter, it is time for us to have a talk."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: You all know the spiel I own nothing blah blah blah**

**A/N: Hey guys! So I kind of struggled with this chapter I kept deleting it and starting over. I'm feeling pretty good about this one now but let me know what you think!**

* * *

Hermione turned to face Lord Voldemort and her anger ebbed away into fear. His wand was pointed directly at her and before she could react she was bound in rope. He silently levitated her to a chair forcing her to sit. She found herself unable to speak when she tried to protest and nothing came out.

Voldemort conjured a chair for himself directly in front of her but did not sit.

"You will earn the right to speak when I have decided you have earned it." With that he withdrew a dagger from his robes and approached Hermione. Her eyes grew wide with fear as he turned over her forearm and made a small slice in the creamy flesh. A line of ruby red blood dripped down her arm which was caught in a vial produced by Voldemort.

"If you are so convinced that you are not my child then we shall know for sure momentarily. You had better wish that you are because if you are not you will find me much less hospitable."

He then turned the knife to himself drawing his own blood and depositing it inside of the vial. He corked the vial and the slightly shook it.

"Now, if this turns blue you are indeed my heir, and you will start to act as such, if it turns red, well for your sake you should hope that it is blue."

Hermione's eyes were glued to the vial, not sure what she should hope for. On one hand if it turned red she would most likely be killed. On the other she would lose her identity, she would be something that everyone she loved would hate. Wasn't that worse than death?

She found herself holding her breath as she stared at the tiny glass vial that would decide her fate. It had turned cloudy inside and the smoke was swirling around undecided until gradually it turned a deep blue.

* * *

Hermione's heart dropped, everything that she had been trying to deny since she got here was true. She felt as if her heart had shattered into a million pieces. Everything she knew or thought she knew was a lie. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she tried to process this information.

Voldemort had sat down on the chair he had conjured and looked at her pensively for a moment.

"Now that that has been settled there are a few things we need to discuss. First you will begin to train to join my Death Eaters, Bella will be teaching you our ways. You will train three days a week beginning tomorrow. Second you will be also be trained in the ways of pureblood society by Narcissa on every other day. Third you shall not tell anyone outside of these walls who you are. You shall return to Hogwarts in the fall but I will have eyes and ears on you at all times, I will know if you reveal anything. We cannot risk the Order knowing who you are for they will treat you much worse than I."

He paused to let this sink in. Hermione was sagged in her chair a feeling of defeat over coming her. He was right. If the Order knew of her lineage she would be looked away or worse. She wanted to believe otherwise but Dumbledore was nothing if not a General and Hermione knew in her heart that if she were in that position that she would do the same.

"You will be required from now on to join us for meals; dinner is at 6 sharp you will find the appropriate attire in your closet. You will also be allowed to roam the manor as you wish but be warned should you try to escape the wards will quite literally throw you back into the manor. Any questions?"

With a wave of his hand he returned her voice to her. Hermione however did not have the strength to speak, so she merely shook her head no. She followed him with her eyes as he left the room and she felt the ropes disappear. Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to control her breathing as the tears began to flow freely.

She cried silently for what felt like hours, there was no more denying it she was Voldemort's daughter. How was she supposed to overcome this? She couldn't just ignore everything she knew and believed in to become what was now expected from her. Whether muggleborn or no; she still did not believe the radical ideals that her so called father did.

Her mind flitted back to something that Bellatrix had said earlier. _"And this supposed light side is so much better is it? You want to know what happened to her, to your mother? She was killed by Sirius Black and you were snatched up by your best friend's father." _

Sirius Black and James Potter were men that she had always thought of as good. Could it be true that they would kill a woman in front of her own child? Did that not put them on the same level as the Death Eaters? No there must have been something more to the story. She couldn't think of a reason right now but she was sure that it had to have been necessary for some greater purpose.

But now it was time for the tears to end, now was the time to be strong. She had to get through this. She would play Voldemort's game; she would let him think that he was slowly turning her. Maybe she could turn this to her advantage, to defeat her enemy she needed to know her enemy. She would be have to be very careful, if it appeared that she was turning too quickly it may look suspicious.

A knock interrupted her thoughts as it seemed to always do. A small elf walked over and in a tiny voice said, "Master has told Nitty to remind young miss that she has an hour till dinner."

"Thank you Nitty." She smiled at the small elf who was suddenly looking rather bashful and quickly left the room. _She must not be used to be thanked. _She thought to herself. _ Well that will just have to be changed._

If he wanted her at dinner fine she would come to dinner, but it would be on her own terms. She walked over to her wardrobe and opened up the doors frowning at the selection. There were many evening gowns and various items that Hermione had a sneaking suspicion were very pricey designer clothing.

She decided that she would just go with the Jeans and t-shirt that she came here in which had thankfully been washed and returned to her. She got dressed and looked at herself in the vanity mirror. Unfortunately her hair looked like a rats nest and without magic there wasn't too much she could do to tame it.

She found a brush and at least got out all the tangles but that only caused more frizz. She sighed knowing that it was as good as it was going to get. She checked the clock and saw that she still had half an hour till she had to be at dinner but then she realized that she had no idea how to get to the dining room.

She wasn't sure how to summon a house elf so she just called her name and hoped it worked. Sure enough seconds later Nitty the house elf popped into the room.

"Young miss called Nitty?" The elf's eyes were glued to her feet as she spoke.

"Um… yes actually, I was wondering, exactly how do I get to the dining room?"

* * *

Hermione arrived precisely one minute before 6. She wasn't sure what to expect when she opened the doors but what she found definitely was not it. When she entered the room 6 pairs of eyes turned to her. She cast her eyes down and sat at the closest available seat which happened to be right next to Draco Malfoy.

She knew that she was at Malfoy Manor but had yet to see the ferret, then again this really was her first outing since the day she had arrived. Curiously enough rather than sneer at her as was his norm, he instead averted his gaze and seemingly was trying to blatantly ignore her. She really didn't mind however, it was miles ahead of the endless torment he inflicted in the past.

She looked around at the faces around the table and found she knew them all. There was Voldemort of course; but there was also Lucius, Narcissa, and Bellatrix and directly across from her a man who she assumed was her husband Rudolphous. As her gaze passed him she noticed that his eyes seemed to be bulging slightly. It made Hermione feel rather uncomfortable.

"My Lord, she…."

"I am aware Rudolphous." Voldemort waived him off and Hermione watched them share a glance that seemed to say they would discuss it later.

Dinner went by slowly, she listened to Lucius and Bellatrix discuss random topics of news from the Daily Prophet. She wasn't really paying attention; she kept her eyes on her plate, pushing around her potatoes without interest as she still didn't have much of an appetite.

"You really should eat something you know."

Hermione looked up from her plate and saw that Rudolphous had leaned across the table to speak to her. She was surprised to see that he was looking at her with kindness. Something she hadn't seen since she was taken from her home. It took her aback and she quickly averted her gaze from his before mumbling something about not being hungry.

"You will need your strength little one; my wife is not a kind teacher." He leaned back into his seat as he said this and it seemed that no one had noticed their brief exchange.

Hermione, realizing he was right began to slowly eat her food. She would need her strength if she was to start training tomorrow.

Dinner slowly wound to an end and no one had spoken to Hermione since Rudolphous. Hermione stood to leave when a voice stopped her midstride.

"Although Breakfast and lunch are informal, tomorrow night I do expect you to be properly dressed daughter. Do not disobey me again or you will be punished."

Without turning around, Hermione nodded and pushed through the door. As soon as she was on the other side and out of sight, she closed her eyes and leaned up against the cold stone wall. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, in fact she felt rather smug that her small rebellion had gotten a reaction.

Smiling to herself Hermione made her way back to her rooms. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: JK Rowling is a goddess and I am only allowed to play with her characters. I make absolutely nothing from any of this.**_

_**A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews everyone! I'm glad that there has been so much interest in this story. Well I would hate to keep you waiting any longer so here is the next chapter!**_

* * *

The next day Hermione went to breakfast which included only Narcissa, Draco, and herself. It was a quiet affair, each absorbed in their own thoughts. She briefly wondered where Voldemort and Lucius were but then decided that she really didn't want to know.

Bellatrix entered the room about a half an hour after Hermione but did not bother to sit. "Finish up your breakfast and meet me in the ballroom." She then turned on her heal and exited the room.

Suddenly Hermione was very nervous as she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her appetite gone, Hermione stood from the table and on shaky legs made her way out of the dining room and into the hall. She had tried to prepare herself for this earlier in the morning. She had worn comfortable clothes that she had found in her room that would allow her to move freely, she had even managed to pull her hair back into a high pony tail.

She had told herself that this was going to be easy, that it was nothing to worry about but now that she was here and about to actually face Bellatrix her Gryffindor courage was starting to falter. She approached the ballroom doors; her heart rate increasing with each step she took. Taking a deep breath she pushed open the doors.

Before she had time to even look around the room she was thrown into a wall by some invisible force.

"Lesson number one, you must always be on your guard. Your enemies won't wait for you to be ready." Bellatrix stepped out of the shadows in a far corner of the room. Hermione dazedly looked in her direction and heard a clatter on the floor. She looked down and saw her wand rolling towards her.

She quickly snatched it up and was on her feet, wand pointed straight at Bellatrix. They began to slowly circle each other. Bella seemed to have a joyful gleam in her eye as she smiled crazily at Hermione whose face was screwed up in concentration trying to figure out her game.

"Before I teach you anything I must know what level you are at so we are going to duel, don't hold back." As she said this she spun around and shot a spell toward the chandelier which crashed down missing Hermione by inches as she jumped out of the way.

"I won't" Hermione now determined to beat Bellatrix yelled, "Protego!" Attempting to throw up a shield but before the shield could completely materialize she was hit with what looked like a ball of lightning. Pain seared through her body but left quickly leaving her feeling disoriented and tingly and quite painfully so.

"First thing we need to work on is casting non-verbally. If your enemy knows what you are going to cast then they have the chance to strike. Non-verbal is quicker and more efficient."

"Stupefy!" Hermione blasted the spell towards Bellatrix who rolled out of the way quickly and jumped to her feet. Hermione could see the rage and craziness in her eyes as she lashed her wand and screamed, "CRUCIO!"

Hermione was caught off guard and pain coursed through her body, every nerve ending was on fire. She heard someone screaming and realized that it was her. The curse seemed to last for hours when in fact it had only been seconds.

"A STUNNER IS WEAK!" Bellatrix grabbed Hermione by her hair and forced her head up to look her in the eyes. "Do you think your dear little order members will hesitate to use a painful curse on the Dark Lords spawn?"

Bellatrix sneered as she dropped Hermione's head and backed away. "Get out of my sight. We are done for today."

Hermione on all fours, her body still racking with pain, flinched as she heard the ballroom doors slam shut. She collapsed to floor, the cool stones bringing some relief to her aching muscles. She wasn't sure quite how long she had been lying there when she heard the door creak open and shut quietly. Hermione opened her eyes and saw a pair of feet in shiny black shoes approaching her just before she blacked out.

* * *

Hermione woke up a few hours later lying on her bed still in her clothes from earlier that day but noticed that her shoes were neatly set by her wardrobe. She had no memory of how she had got here, the last thing she remembered was Bellatrix leaving the ballroom.

She glanced at the ornate clock on her wall and saw that she had 45 minutes until she had to be at dinner. She briefly considered not going but quickly changed her mind. She wouldn't allow them to believe that she had been beaten.

She took a quick shower, not wanting to allow herself to enjoy the relief that the hot water provided otherwise she may never leave. Bellatrix had taken her wand before she left so Hermione tried her best to style her hair in a presentable manner; managing to get it into an elegant high pony with only minimal frizz.

She went to the wardrobe next and opened the door chewing on her lip as she contemplated her options which was surprisingly many more than she originally thought. The wardrobe must have been recently charmed to be extended as it now appeared to be more of a walk in closet.

She eventually decided on a conservative black cocktail dress. It had a square neck and tightly gripped her curves until her waist where the dress flared out landing just above the knee. She also found some simple black pumps that she slipped into.

She turned to her vanity to examine herself when she spotted a small box and card sitting there. Carefully she opened the card to read the short message that was written.

_This once belonged to your mother and now belongs to you. It would mean a lot to her if you wore it._

_-Dad_

She closed the card and eyed the box suspiciously before reaching for it and slowly opening the lid. There sat a stunning necklace. It was two silver snakes in the shape of a heart their tails intertwining at the bottom. Each snake had a different stone where they eyes were, one with sapphires and one with emeralds.

Hermione carefully lifted the necklace from the box and clasped it around her neck. She stepped back to admire it in the mirror, when she faltered. This had been a gift from Voldemort, what if it was cursed or had some other spell placed on it? Professor Flitwick had once said that an enchanted object would give off a slight hum of magic if you concentrated enough. She had once been able to do it with an enchanted quill. This wouldn't tell you what the enchantment was only that there was one there.

Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated on the object around her neck. She could feel her magic stretch out of her to flicker up at the object feeling it out. But the probing did not proffer a response. Satisfied Hermione broke her concentration and once again glanced at her clock. It was about time to head out for dinner.

* * *

Dinner went by quickly. Hermione was surprisingly ravenous after the day she had so she hardly paid any attention to what was going on around her. That was until she was addressed directly which took her by surprise.

"Hermione!" Her head snapped up to look at Voldemort.

"You should pay more attention Daughter. I was just saying that you will be joining us for a meeting of the inner circle at the end of the week. You will need a proper gown. I am sending you and Narcissa to the shops tomorrow as part of your lesson."

"Fine." She saw the shocked faces around the table at this response and she quickly added "sir." This seemed to appease at least most of them.

Shortly after that dinner ended and Hermione found herself wandering around the manor. She had intended to go straight to her rooms but she had become lost in thought and now she wasn't exactly sure where she was.

Directly in front of her was a rather beautifully carved door; Hermione instantly felt drawn to it. She cautiously approached the door and laid her ear to it trying to see if there was anyone inside. Once she was satisfied that the room was empty she carefully opened the door and slipped inside.

Her breath caught and happiness swelled up inside her as she looked upon what had to be thousands of books. She had found the Malfoy library. She tried to contain her excitement but an extremely girly squeal escaped her lips as she ran to the first shelf running her hand along the spines of the books as she read the titles.

"Well well it seems that the book worm has found the books." Hermione spun on her heel only to come face to face with Draco Malfoy who was leaning against the shelf smugly.

"What are you doing here Malfoy; I was told that I was free to roam the Manor." Hermione snapped out.

"Yes you are, but seeing as this is MY house I am also free to be wherever I like." With that he crossed to the other side of the library grabbed a book and plopped down on one of the couches.

Hermione scowled, her perfect alone time now ruined. She grabbed a couple of interesting looking books and went over to the reading area sitting on the couch opposite of Malfoy. The first book she had chosen was one on non-verbal casting. If she was supposed to learn this than she might as well get a head start and at least learn the theory.

They read in silence for a long time, neither acknowledging the other the only sounds were pages turning and the occasional quill against parchment as Malfoy took notes on what he was reading. Hermione caught herself glancing up at him every now and again.

She hadn't taken him for the scholar type but he seemed to be very interested in the dusty tome that he was reading. She tried to read the title of the book but it was too worn for her to discern the lettering. She went back to reading her own book but soon her eyes started to flutter and her head began to droop as sleep tried to claim her.

"Come on Granger let's get you to bed, my mother would kill me if she knew I let you sleep in the library." Malfoy stood above her his hand outstretched, annoyance etched on his face.

Groggily Hermione took his hand and was yanked to her feet. She followed him out of library trying to remember exactly where they were so that she could find her way back to the magnificent library. They stopped in front of her doors where he bid her goodnight and turned on his heel and left.

Who knew that Malfoy could be a gentleman? All she had ever seen at school was his cruelty. But then again she was the Dark Lords daughter now; he was probably ordered to at least be cordial to her. She shook her head as she entered her room.

She slipped into one of her nightgowns and went to the balcony as was her nightly custom. She stared out into the stars. She had decided that this was the only time she would allow herself to reflect on her situation. She let herself feel the grief of loss once again and silently cried, holding herself as the wind blew about her.

She eventually came back inside the room and slipped under her covers. It wasn't long before sleep claimed her.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter.**_

_**A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the others but I really wanted to squeeze the last bit in before the next chapter ;) Well happy reading and don't forget to leave a review!**_

The next morning was her first lessons with Narcissa. They had met down at breakfast and then moved into a sitting room. They were sitting opposite of each other in leather wingback chairs. Narcissa looked like the epitome of class. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a neat bun and she was wearing a beautifully designed blue sundress and strappy heels. Her ankles were neatly crossed as she sat in her chair.

Hermione felt very inadequate. Her hair was unmanageable today and was sticking out in all different directions. She was wearing a neat dark grey pantsuit that she had found in wardrobe along with the same heels she had worn the night before. She attempted to mimic Narcissa's graceful posture but it just felt too unnatural for her to maintain.

"Well first things first we simply must do something about your hair. It is quite like your mothers. In fact I think I might just have something that will work, stay right here." Narcissa quickly stood up and left the room leaving Hermione completely baffled.

When She reentered the room she was holding a large glass bottle with a slivery substance inside. She motioned for Hermione to cup her hands and then poured the liquid into them. Getting the idea Hermione massaged it through her hair and took the hairbrush that Narcissa was handing her and brushed it through.

"Much better, here take a look." She handed Hermione a small hand mirror, Which Hermione took apprehensively. She brought it up to her eyes and smiled. Her unruly hair was now in soft flowing curls that cascaded down her back and over her shoulder. It was much longer now with the curls relaxed, falling just above her bum.

"Your mother's hair was almost worse than yours. I'll have this taken to your room so you can use it whenever you feel like it." Narcissa was smiling to herself as if lost in memory.

Hermione found that her curiosity got the better of her when she turned to Narcissa and asked, "Did you know my mother well?"

Narcissa eyed her carefully before responding. "Yes, I knew her well, although not as well as my sister. They were in the same year and practically grew up together they were inseparable. Our mothers were also quite close, both being pureblood of high stature they had also grown up together. It was no surprise when our parents drew up the marriage contract for Bella and your mother's brother."

"Wait so Rudolphous, is…is my uncle?" Hermione's head was spinning with the new information.

"Yes, and Bella is your aunt." Narcissa laid a hand on Hermione's and continued, "She wasn't always like this you know, after you mother…. After she passed away, Bella just lost it, it was like she had lost a part of her. She was consumed with anger and grief. I am sure you have heard of the Longbottom incident?"

Hermione nodded.

"After your mother was killed Bella was determined to find those who were responsible. She tracked down the Longbottoms knowing that they were both Aurors and Order members. She tortured them until they gave up the names. James Potter and Sirius Black, Sirius was our cousin and Family means everything to the Blacks. Bella was so enraged that she just kept on with the torture until she simply could sustain it anymore. I do not condone my sisters actions I am merely trying to help you understand her."

Hermione was in shock, she didn't know what to say. What Bellatrix did to the Longbottoms was despicable, but if she were in that position, if someone had killed Harry or Ron would she handle it any better? Would she not do anything within her power to get justice? She shook her head, she would never be like Bellatrix, and she couldn't torture someone like that she wouldn't allow herself to.

"Dear you really must learn to not allow your emotions to show. I can see just by looking at you how distraught you are. Emotions are a dangerous thing to show. You must relax your face and only show the emotions that you want others to see."

Hermione tried to change her expression to one a little less obvious of what she was feeling inside but found it more difficult than she had originally thought it would be.

"Practice in the mirror my dear, that shall be a portion of your homework for the week. I also want you to read these." She handed Hermione two books. One titled _ Pureblood Society: Then and Now _ and the other, _History and Practices of the Pureblood Witch._

Hermione nodded before asking another question. "Why does he want me at the meeting on Saturday?"

It had been bothering her all morning, why would her attendance be required at a rally? She had heard of the things his Death Eaters do at these things and she wanted nothing what so ever to do with it.

"My dear, you are going to be presented to the Inner Circle, they will be the only other's besides those in this house who know of your identity until our Lord deems it time to tell the world of his heirs Inner Circle will be there to protect you; it is our duty to our Lord."

It made Hermione slightly ill to hear the blind devotion in Narcissa's voice but she tried her best to keep her expression neutral, after all wasn't that the major point of this lesson?

"I see." Narcissa flashed a smile at Hermione's response and quickly stood up from her chair.

"Well I think it's about time to head out to do some shopping why don't you go freshen up and meet me in the entrance hall in fifteen minutes, we will depart from there.

* * *

Fifteen minutes and one trip through the floo later, Hermione found herself in Borgin and Burkes.

"Here dear I almost forgot, take this." She handed a small vial to Hermione which she immediately recognized as Polyjuice potion. Obviously they didn't want her to be recognized by anyone in Diagon Alley. She quickly downed the potion and felt her body begin to change. She stepped over to a mirror leaning up against a wall and saw that she was about the same height and build as before so her clothing still fit, but her hair was now as straight and blonde as any Malfoy and her eyes were a bright blue. Her nose was slightly smaller and her skin was a creamy white with absolutely no freckles, the face was quite a bit thinner than Hermione's but overall who ever this body really was, she was quite pretty and looked nothing like Hermione.

"Now Hermione during this trip you are a distant cousin of Lucius and your name is Belle. If you try to give away your true identity at any point this," She held up a small gold bracelet before clasping it firmly onto Hermione's wrist, "will make it sound to anyone who doesn't already know like you are babbling incoherently."

Hermione's heart sank as she looked at the bracelet. She had really hoped that they wouldn't have thought this out this thoroughly but she should have known better. Sighing internally Hermione followed Narcissa out of the shop and onto the streets of Knockturn Alley.

She stayed close by her guide not wanting to attract any unwanted attention but then noticed that people seemed to stay out of Narcissa's path. As she passed they would move out of the way and bow their heads as a sign of respect.

It was all so unreal to Hermione that a woman could command such power. Narcissa seemed to sense Hermione's thoughts and leaned over to whisper to her.

"Someday people will act the same around you, status in society still means a great deal but no one will respect you unless you act like you deserve their respect."

Hermione spent the rest of the short walk watching Narcissa. Rather than walking she seemed to glide, she held her chin high but also managed to keep her eyes looking friendly. She would nod occasionally to those who looked like they were also a part of the upper class. Hermione was in awe by the commanding presence that she held.

Soon they reached Diagon Alley and emerged into the sunlight that seemed to avoid Knockturn Alley. Hermione took a deep breath and smiled for the first time in long time. She reveled in the feeling of the sun hitting her face and just being outside in general. She had been a prisoner and felt caged these last couple of weeks and now even if it was for a brief time, she felt free.

They entered one of the higher end clothing shops and the very first dress she looked at she dropped almost immediately after seeing the price.

"Mrs. Malfoy, that dress is $300 galleons." She whispered.

"Ah! They must be having a sale then, lovely! And please dear call me Cissy."

Hermione saw that Narcissa already had an alarmingly large stack of dresses in arms, and a crazed look almost reminiscent of her dear sisters in her eyes. She handed Hermione half of the pile and ushered her over to the dressing rooms.

When Hermione stepped back out with the first dress the shopkeeper bustled around her making small adjustments with her wand. When she stepped away Hermione glanced in the full length mirror. The dress was well in all honesty it was hideous.

It was a pale pink dress that came to just above her knees. Hermione hated any shade of pink and the length of the skirt made her feel like a little girl. She looked over to Narcissa who merely shook her head and shooed her back into the dressing rooms. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Three hours and too many dresses to count later and Hermione and Narcissa left the shop laden with several bags. Hermione wasn't paying too much attention when she suddenly bumped into someone knocking her down.

"Oh sorry dear! Here let me help you up," Hermione looked up into a familiar face hand her breath stopped as she took the hand that was offered to her.

She was looking straight into the face of Molly Weasley. Hermione resisted the urge to jump into the older woman's arms. Narcissa's hand immediately grabbed Hermione's as if to stop that very thing from happening.

"Molly." Narcissa nodded at Mrs. Weasley hate pouring out of her eyes. Hermione was startled to see the same look coming from the Weasley matriarch. She had never known Molly to be a hateful person but the look in her eyes was almost frightening.

"Narcissa." Molly ground out through clenched teeth. Before things could go any further Arthur Weasley stepped up to his wife wrapping a protective arm around her.

"Stay away from my family Malfoy and keep an eye on yours." Hermione took a step back as Arthur sent a hateful glare her way before turning on his heel and leaving taking Molly with him.

Narcissa looked at Hermione with a small faltering smile. "Molly and I used to be friends you know. While we were at Hogwarts."

Hermione opened her mouth to ask about what happened when Narcissa raised her hand to stop her.

"Another time dear, we're running late we should get back." And with that they headed back To Borgin and Burkes to floo home.

* * *

Over the next few days Hermione attended her lessons and every night after dinner she would head to the library and would be joined later on by Draco who would silently read with her and then walk her back to her room where they would silently part ways. At first Hermione resented him on intruding on her quiet time, but she eventually got used to it and began to feel it was nice to have someone who wasn't yelling at her or even just trying to teach her, being around.

One night after a particularly brutal training with Bellatrix that had gone all the way through dinner; Hermione limped into the library and collapsed into one of the couches not noticing that Malfoy was already there.

She had a splitting headache and wasn't able to focus on much.

"Granger?" She groggily looked over to the other couch and saw Malfoy getting up and crossing over to her.

"Your bleeding." Hermione ran her fingers through her hair and when she pulled away she saw her hand covered in blood.

"Oh." Was all she was able to say as she stared at the dark red liquid on her hand.

"Here let me help." Draco pulled out his wand and Hermione flinched away, still jumpy from her earlier ordeal. He raised an eyebrow at her before silently waiving his wand over her head. Relief flooded through her as the pressure that had been building up behind her eyes slowly dissipated. He then did the same thing for her swollen twisted ankle.

"Better?" He said as he stood up and walked back over to the other couch. Hermione nodded and slowly sat up straight.

"Thanks." Hermione muttered. She was very confused about this random act of kindness. Sure they weren't on bad terms anymore but she certainly never expected him to go out of his way to help her. "I think I'm just going to go to bed."

Hermione stood quickly and her head began to spin, she felt herself begin to fall when someone caught her by the elbow. She looked up into stormy grey eyes, as Draco helped to steady her. She had never been close enough to really notice how beautiful his eyes were and there seemed to be a touch of worry shining through his well masked face.

_I really must have been hit hard if I'm thinking that Malfoy actually gives a rat's ass about me. _Hermione shook her head trying to clear her mind and took a step. Malfoy stepped with her, his hand still on her elbow. She shook him off feeling more in control of herself and walked through the doors to head back to her room.

She could hear him slowly trailing her but she didn't look back at him. She had shown weakness, she couldn't begin to think of her enemy in any other light than she always had, as evil. But did she really think that Malfoy was evil? Sure he was a right prat most of the time but he had never really acted evil per say.

He was certainly a product of his upbringing though, he was the son of devoted followers of Voldemort. He was raised to believe in every messed up ideal that his parents did. Perhaps it wasn't too late for him after all.

She sighed to herself as she walked through the dark corridors. She had bigger things to worry about right now. Tomorrow was the day that she was going to be introduced to the Inner circle and she honestly had no idea what to expect.

When she reached her door she heard the footsteps behind her stopped and she glanced back to see Malfoy watching her for a moment then turn and head back towards his rooms. Although her mind was still reeling from everything the moment Hermione slid under her covers she was fast asleep her body overpowering her thoughts from the exhausting day that she had had.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize from the Harry Potter books.**_

_**A/N: Two chapters in one day? Say Whaaa? I am not that great with writing emotional bits so excuse the awkwardness in this chapter. I actually finished it a lot sooner than I thought I would so here it is, enjoy!**_

The next day Hermione did not have any lessons due to the meeting that night. After breakfast she went for a walk around the Manor feeling the need to just stretch her legs. She wandered around for a while not really paying much attention to her surroundings. She found herself staring at beautiful landscape painting lost in thought as she marveled at the beauty of the rolling green hills with a tall stone structure in the background carved with ancient symbols that over time had lost their meaning. She felt as though she had somehow seen this place before.

She didn't notice that there was someone standing just a few behind her until a voice softly broke the silence.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Hermione turned to face Rudolphous nodding. "Your mother painted it; she said that she often saw this place in her dreams."

Hermione turned back to the painting her eyes filling with tears as sadness filled her. She had loved her muggle mother but lately she couldn't help but feel cheated that she had never known Mira, the woman who had looked at her so lovingly in those old photographs that Bella had given to her.

"You were her brother." It wasn't so much of a question as it was a statement of fact.

"Yes, Mira was my little sister. You look very much like her you know. You are a beautiful young woman and it saddens me that she never got to see you grow up." His voice cracked and Hermione turned to look at the man who was her family.

He was standing with his hands clasped behind his back standing very tall as he looked at the painting with a deep sadness in his eyes and a single tear escaped him as he thought of his beloved sister. Hermione didn't know what possessed her but she walked toward the man and embraced him tightly. His arms moved around her holding her to him. Hermione hadn't realized until then how much she had missed human contact.

"Now that we have you back I will personally make sure no one will harm you." When the embrace broke she realized how tired and broken down he looked. There was silver creeping into his dark hair and he had dark bags around his eyes which made him look much older than the rest of his body had begun to show.

"Take this, if you ever need help simply call my name and I will find you, you're the last family I have left and I swear to protect you." He handed her a small silver ring with the Lestrange family crest surrounded by opals. The silver band had runes carved into it. She slipped it onto her middle finger and once more hugged the man tightly.

"Thank you Uncle." He nodded and gruffly cleared his throat.

"Come, Narcissa is likely to be going mad looking for you. It's about time for you to get ready."

Hermione followed him through the Manor until they reached the entrance hall where they found Narcissa who quickly ushered Hermione up the stairs to get ready. Hermione glanced over her shoulder to get one last look at her uncle who was still standing there watching her go.

Some of the knots in her chest that she had developed since coming here began to loosen. She had family, a guardian, someone who would watch after her through this ordeal. She could tell by the way he spoke to her and looked at her that he truly loved her and would protect her and that gave her a feeling of comfort that she hadn't felt in quite a long time.

* * *

Hermione looked at herself in her full length mirror. She was ready for the meeting after a couple of hours with Narcissa. She hardly recognized herself as she stared at her reflection. She was wearing a long floor length black dress. It had a modest v-neck and hugged her tightly until her hips where it flowed slimly down her legs; the material was a soft silk that had been embroidered with lace and beads on the bodice. Narcissa had managed to tame Hermione's hair enough to pull it into an elegant bun with soft curls framing her face. Her makeup was soft with the exception of a dark smoky eye.

She looked like a dark princess, very much fitting for the daughter of the Dark Lord. And as much as she hated to admit it, she liked the look. She felt beautiful and regal, she felt like a woman which was an easy thing to forget when your only friends were Harry and Ron.

Narcissa was standing behind her with her hands clasped together over her chest.

"You look beautiful dear, now just remember our lessons. Walk straight, don't look anyone in the eye except those who are of equal status. Oh and one more thing." Narcissa left the room and the quickly returned with a long black cloak that matched her dress.

She wrapped the cloak around Hermione's shoulders and fastened the latch and pulled up the hood. "Now do you remember everything you're supposed to do?"

Hermione nodded and Narcissa flashed a smile at her. "Your Uncle will be here shortly to escort you down dear." With that Narcissa left the room.

Hermione sat on her desk chair and took a deep breath. She didn't want to do this. The meeting as she had found out yesterday was not exactly what she had thought. It was more of a party than a Death Eater Rally. Tonight she was going to be presented to the elite of Voldemort's Army as his long lost daughter home again.

She would be required to dance with her father and his Generals. Lucius had pulled her into his office yesterday to inform her of the details and whilst doing so made some not so veiled threats as to what would happen should she step out of line and embarrass her father.

Hermione couldn't risk not doing her best tonight even though her heart was racing and all she wanted to do was run, run as far as she could away from all of this. She wanted her old life back; she wished that she had never known who her parents really were. She wanted to be a muggleborn again.

Before she could get any further into her thoughts a knock came to the door. She stood up and composed herself as she walked to the door. She took a deep breath and opened it. Her uncle stood before her in brilliant dark green dress robes and he offered his arm to her.

"Milady." His eyes sparkled with humor as she took the proffered arm and began to walk with him.

"Don't be frightened little one, your father is a complicated man but there is more to him than meets the eye." Hermione looked up at her uncle with a puzzled look but he merely put a finger to his lips and winked at her. They were in front of the ballroom doors. Her uncle adjusted her hood making sure it still covered her face and gave her a quick peck on the forehead before turning to open the doors.

* * *

Her fight or flight instinct was leaning heavily towards flight as the large double doors opened up.

"I present to you my daughter, Hermione Mira Riddle."

Applause reached her ears as she numbly walked forward. There were three chairs on a small platform, more throne like than chairs, in the center of the back wall where Voldemort stood with his arms open. She felt her arm slip from her uncles as she climbed the steps up to her father who embraced her lightly.

Hermione fought the urge to pull away and run but it was over quick enough. She then took the seat to his left and the chair to his right remained empty. Hermione vaguely wondered who the chair was for but didn't have much time to think about it before Voldemort began to speak again.

"Tonight, is a night for celebration. Sixteen years ago my beloved wife Mira's life was cut short by Dumbledore and his men. They also stole away my only child. Since then these chairs have stood empty to remind us why we fight. Tonight my daughter has returned and her chair shall never go empty again."

Cheering echoed through the room again, it went for a few moments before Voldemort held up his hand to silence the crowd who immediately obeyed.

"However one chair still stands empty, we will not forget why we are fighting. The muggles have infiltrated our world far too much. They have diluted our magic and are risking our exposure to the world. The supposed light side thought that they could use my daughter to convince the rest of the world that great magic can come from muggleborns. They stole her away knowing that her magic would rival even my own. She is the product of two founder's lines of lineage, the blood of not only Salazar Slytherin but also Rowena Ravenclaw run through her veins. They took her and placed her in a muggle orphanage so that she would be adopted into a muggle family."

Gasps could be heard in the crowd as this was revealed and then Voldemort continued. "In doing so Hermione Granger came into existence. She has been called the smartest witch of her age but what would our world say if they knew that she was not in fact a muggleborn? My loyal followers, I present my daughter, formerly known as Hermione Granger."

Hermione lowered the hood of her cloak as she had been earlier instructed and stood. There were whispers spreading throughout the crowd. Hermione stood there awkwardly not sure what she should do. A lone clap filled the air and Hermione's eyes immediately met with theirs. Stormy grey eyes looked up at her as Draco clapped and soon enough the whole room broke into applause.

Hermione kept her face neutral just as she was taught and nodded to certain members of the audience. But on the inside her emotions were a jumble. She had never thought of it that way before. Had the Order been using her for her entire life? In a way it made sense, why would they have not killed her along with her mother if they hadn't had any plans for her?

Anger began to bubble up inside her as she contemplated this but then Voldemort took her hand and led her off the platform as a waltz began to play. Hermione could not concentrate on both her anger and dancing as she really was rather horrible at it. She focused on her feet until she began to get the hang of it. She looked into Voldemort's eyes for a moment before quickly looking back down.

"Hermione, you look beautiful tonight. Your mother would be proud." He whispered in her ear and just like that the song had ended and Voldemort stepped away as her uncle stepped in.

"Are you alright little one? You look troubled." Her uncle looked at her concernedly as he twirled her around the dance floor.

"I guess it had never crossed my mind as to why I was taken away." She admitted. "Do you think that is really the reason?"

Her uncle looked at her for moment thinking about the question. "What other reason could there be? Why risk letting the daughter of their greatest adversary live and learn magic if they didn't have some greater purpose for you?"

His answer reflected her own thoughts and she simply hung her head feeling defeated and tired. She had hoped that he could have offered a different explanation.

A finger lifted her chin and she looked up at him and saw her own sadness reflected in his eyes. "Come now little one let us not dwell in the past but enjoy the now." A wicked smile that reached his eyes spread across his face as he spun her out and then back in into a low dip. She laughed a little at his antics and began to feel a bit better.

When the song ended he stepped away and bowed low, she did a small curtsey and smiled at him. A tap came to her shoulder and there stood Draco.

"May I have this dance?" He to bowed low to her before taking her hands in his and began to move them across the floor with a surprising amount of grace.

"My father has informed me that I am to watch over you once we return to Hogwarts."

Hermione nodded. "Yes so you mother has told me." He nodded stiffly and continued to dance.

"Thank you Draco." Hermione said softly. His eyebrow quirked at this.

"And what have I done to earn thanks?"

"For healing me in the library and well for breaking the awkward moment earlier." For some reason she blushed deeply at this, feeling rather foolish.

If she hadn't known any better she would have thought that he had smiled for a second but it quickly turned into a good natured smirk, which in itself was surprising.

"Well honestly it was a bit uncomfortable for all of us. I mean most of them have cursed the name of Hermione Granger at least once."

Hermione couldn't help herself as she laughed at this. "Oh please I'm really not all of that."

"Oh but you are, you really are the brightest of our age although I would say I am a close second." He winked at her which made her laugh even more.

"Who knew that Draco Malfoy could actually have a personality?" She teased.

A sudden thought crossed Hermione's mind. "Draco, when you were healing me in the library were you using non-verbal magic?"

Draco smirked and wagged his eyebrows at her. "Why yes it was, do I finally know something that the famous know it all doesn't?"

She slapped his arm playfully and laughed. "Yes, but actually I was hoping you would teach me, I've been having problems with it and Bellatrix isn't helping at all."

Draco looked at her for a moment to see if she was serious. It was very un-Hermione like to ask for help.

"Yeah, I suppose I could but you have to swear one thing to me."

"Oh and what would that be Mr. Malfoy?"

He smirked. "Never slap me again. That time in third year still haunts me."

She burst out into laughter, that certainly wasn't what she had been expecting.

"Deal."

They continued to dance for the next couple of songs, neither noticing that both of their fathers were watching them very closely.

* * *

Toward the end of the night the music stopped and everyone turned towards the seats to face Voldemort who beckoned Hermione to his side.

"Tonight we will be inducting the newest members to the elite, as I call your name please step forward."

Hermione looked into the crowd nervously; she hadn't been made aware of this beforehand.

"First brothers and sisters welcome Draco Malfoy." Draco stepped forward and knelt before his Lord. "Draco has proven himself worthy of my trust. Therefore he shall be joining his parents within the elite circle. Please stand Draco."

Draco stood and exposed his left forearm where the Dark mark stood out against the pale skin. Hermione sucked in a deep breath, she hadn't been aware that Draco had already taken the mark. Voldemort lightly touched his wand to Draco's mark and she watched it writhe on his skin. It glowed faintly and then where Voldemort's wand had touched appeared a small crown that rested on the snakes head.

"Welcome my son, go and join your brethren." Draco bowed respectfully and turned to stand with his parents.

A few more names were called but none that Hermione recognized. The same process was repeated on them as it was with Draco. When the last one returned to the crowd Hermione thought that it was finally over but then Voldemort turned to her.

"And now my daughter shall receive our mark so that she may be known to all of our kind." Hermione's eyes grew wide and she began to panic as he grabbed her wrist and turned it to expose her forearm. As he touched his wand to her flesh a searing pain shot up her arm. She did not cry out but instead kept her eyes locked onto his not wanting to show weakness.

When it was over she looked down and examined the mark. It was the same as the others she had seen with one exception. The snake held a single rose in its mouth. She looked up at her father again who had a genuine smile on his face. It looked so unnatural to her to see such a look on a man who she had only known to be solemn or angry.

He took her hand and raised it above her head and turned her to face the crowd who erupted into cheers once again. Hermione fought tears as she tried to smile at the crowd.

She was now marked, tainted as were the rest of the Death Eaters, She felt as if Hermione Granger was slowly dying and Hermione Riddle was coming forward but Hermione fought it. She wouldn't allow herself to be changed so easily.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Discalimer:I do not own anything Harry Potter.**_

_**A/N: Well here we go again, another chapter for you guys! I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review ;)**_

* * *

The next couple of months went by slowly. By day she completed her lessons with Narcissa and Bellatrix and every night she met up with Draco in the library where he helped her with her non-verbal magic. Although she was slightly jealous that it came more naturally to him she was starting to progress. She had been allowed her wand back now that they thought she wasn't a flight risk anymore. She was now able to throw up a shield and preform a few other defense spells non-verbally, it was the offensive spells that she was having trouble with.

"Come on Riddle focus! It's just a stunner!"

Hermione waived her wand towards Draco trying to control her magic through thought. But all that came out was a pathetic red mist that floated for a moment and then dissipated.

"Damn it! Why can't I do this?" She flopped down on the couch, running her hand through her hair in frustration.

"You have to mean it Hermione. You're trying to let your wand do all the work. You have to will the spell into existence. For a moment just forget everything you know about magic. Before you had your wand, before Hogwarts did you not preform magic? It is the most primal form of magic. It comes easily to us when we are young. Those who fully master it don't even need a wand, all a wand is, is something to channel the magic through. The magic isn't in the wand it's in you."

Hermione had never thought of it that way. He was right, the magic was in her. She stood and nodded that she was ready to try it again. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt for her magic. It was humming all around her, Hermione pointed her wand at Draco and told her magic what she wanted it to do, she wanted him stunned. She focused on pushing her magic outward to do her will.

She was surprised when the red light burst out stronger than she had ever cast the spell verbally. Even though Draco had quickly thrown up a shield, the sheer force of the spell knocked him off his feet.

"That was brilliant Hermione!" Draco stood up and gave her a congratulatory pat on the back. Although they had developed a friendship of sorts they were not quite comfortable hugging or anything so it was always a pat on the back or a high five between them.

Hermione was all smiles feeling rather smug with herself. The whole thing had felt so exhilarating.

"I say we call it a night then, we'll pick it up again tomorrow yeah?" Hermione nodded and followed him out of the library. On their way upstairs Lucius stepped out of his office.

"Draco, I need to speak with you privately."

Draco and Hermione exchanged glances before Draco nodded and followed his father into the study and Hermione continued up to her room.

* * *

Hermione sat out on her balcony, she had realized that it had been a long time since she had thought of her friends, but now they invaded her mind again. What would they think of her now? Would they understand that she did what she must to survive?

She felt guilty though, she had befriended someone who they had all unanimously hated for years, she couldn't help that she was Voldemort's daughter but her friendship with Draco had been her choice. They would be leaving for Hogwarts in just one week. How was she going to be able to face them, to lie to them every day?

She hated this, although she hadn't learned much of Voldemort's plans she felt she knew enough to help the Order but she couldn't risk revealing herself. If she didn't it wouldn't just be her father she would have to worry about. Just how far would Dumbledore go for the greater good? Would he lock her up in a cell somewhere or use her as a spy?

The Order had already used her once; it wouldn't be difficult to use her again. She had so many conflicting emotions running through her. One part of her was outraged that they killed her mother and took her away. The other part wanted to believe that they did it to protect her. But protect her from what? A loving family?

The photographs that she had were proof that at one point Voldemort loved. He loved her mother and he loved her. It seems that only after they had been taken away from him that he became the man he was today, cold, distant, and uncaring about anyone but himself. Although since her arrival she seemed to be catching glances of the man he used to be, of Tom Riddle.

She thought back to her meeting with him just a week ago.

* * *

"_Take a seat Hermione, I wish to discuss your progress." Hermione sat down on the chair facing the desk that Voldemort sat behind. Her ankles neatly crossed like Narcissa had taught her. Her face was impassive but her heart was racing, was she in trouble for something?_

"_Narcissa speaks very highly of you; it seems you have been learning quite rapidly about our customs and culture."_

"_Yes father, I have found the whole thing very interesting."_

_This seemed to amuse Voldemort and he leaned back in his chair observing her. "Bellatrix also says you are coming along nicely although you are still struggling with non-verbal casting?"_

_Hermione hung her head she knew this was going to come up._

"_I have been trying; Draco says I'm almost there." _

"_Ah, yes the Malfoy boy, I had heard that he was giving you extra instruction, without permission I might add."_

_Hermione's heart dropped, she hadn't wanted to get Draco in any trouble, he was the only one besides her uncle who really treated her with kindness. _

"_Please, sir we didn't mean to…" Voldemort raised his hand to stop her. _

"_There will be no repercussions. You may continue as it seems the boy is actually helping. He is treating you well, yes?"_

_Hermione was taken aback by the question, it was the first time he had actually asked about her well-being._

"_Yes sir, he isn't exactly who I had thought he was." She surprised herself with this confession. Although it was true, she had been seeing a different side of Draco that she hadn't even known was there but why she had just admitted this to her father she had no idea. _

"_I'm sure you will be finding that the case with many of us. We have an image that we must all uphold but you more than anyone should know to never judge a book by its cover."_

_Hermione thought about this for a moment and found he was right. Narcissa wasn't the cold uncaring face that she gave to the public. She was in fact a kind woman; maybe a bit mislead but not what Hermione would call a bad person. Bellatrix, although not completely sane was not what Hermione would have guessed she would be. She had found that after hearing her side of the story her madness was more understandable. _

_Even Voldemort himself was not who she had thought him to be. He hadn't always been cruel and unforgiving and she believed that in his own way he did care for her. _

"_I want to give you something Hermione, something that I haven't shown anyone." He opened up a desk drawer and pulled out a small box which he then handed to Hermione._

_She opened the lid carefully and found a stack of letters. As she shifted through them she realized that they were letters between him and her mother. She looked up at him quickly and then back down to the letters._

"_I don't know what to say, except thank you."_

"_Your mother was cruelly ripped away from you and it is one of my deepest regrets that you were not able to know her. I hope that through these letters that you could get to see who she was and who I am." _

_He stood to lead her out of the office but stopped as he reached the door._

"_Hermione, I have no real experience being a father. You were taken from me when you were so young. I do want you to know that I am trying. It is difficult to separate myself from the Voldemort persona that I have created. But I do hope that one day you and I could have a somewhat normal relationship."_

_At that he opened the door but Hermione was so stunned that she was rooted to the spot. Maybe it was because she had never seen him this human before or maybe it was because she felt pity for him but Hermione couldn't help herself as she stepped up to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Seeing the stunned expression on his face Hermione quickly left the office._

* * *

She hadn't seen Voldemort since that meeting and had been so busy that she hadn't had a chance to go through any of the letters. She moved over to her bed and pulled the box out of her night stand and sitting in the middle of the covers she pulled out the first letter.

_May 1, 1969_

_Dearest Tom,_

_I did so enjoy your last letter; I hope you and my brother aren't getting in too much trouble. I was so excited to hear of his betrothal to Bella; she's been my sister in all but name since we were toddlers! Will you be attending the wedding? _

_I am so glad that you will be here for our graduation; it has been much too long since we last saw each other. I am not yet sure of what I will do after graduation, since our father passed away and Rudolphous took the position of head of the house there haven't been any suitor's asking for me. Honestly I think They're all just too intimidated by him. _

_So my future seems uncertain, I have been thinking of becoming a mediwitch, perhaps I'll pursue that._

_Well I best be going Bella has been trying to drag me out to the lake all day._

_Your friend,_

_Mira Lestrange_

* * *

The letter didn't really tell her much new information other than right before graduation they were still only friends but with Voldemort being almost 25 years her senior it did seem to be an odd friendship. Obviously they knew one another through Rudolphous. She wondered when exactly they had fallen in love. She thought of opening another letter but decided she wanted to cherish these so she would only read one at a time.

Hermione carefully folded the letter and placed it back in the box before replacing the box in the nightstand. She slid underneath her covers and fell soundly asleep.

….

The next day at breakfast something felt off, everyone was oddly quiet and no one would make eye contact with her. Not even Draco would glance her way. Hermione worried her bottom lip wondering what was going on.

Narcissa had her eyes glue to her plate and Lucius, well Lucius never paid much attention to her anyway but he at least usually made small talk with his wife but instead today his eyes were glued to the paper.

Hermione fidgeted in her seat, pushing her food around on her plate. When she had just about had enough of the silence Voldemort entered the room.

"Daughter, I need to speak with you privately." He then turned on his heel and left the room. Everyone at the table turned to look at Hermione who carefully put her fork on her plate and stood to follow.

When Hermione entered the office Voldemort was already sitting behind his desk quill in hand as he finished writing a letter which he then folded carefully and set to the side motioning for her to take a seat. She did so and waited for him to speak.

He sat there looking at her for a few minutes before he began.

"You're returning to Hogwarts at the weeks end and I thought we should be on the same page as far as your rules go."

Hermione felt the instant urge to protest but thought better of it, simply pursing her lips as he continued.

"Of course you are not to tell anyone of your identity, I want you to be able to finish your education and I know it is important to you as well. If the Order knew, your safety would be compromised and I would be forced to withdraw you."

Hermione was shocked that he would have thought of her feeling on the matter, school really was one of her top priorities in her life and she would hate to not graduate.

"As your father I expect a weekly letter to keep me updated on your schooling, you may send it with Draco, he has done the same for his father for years, that way there will be no suspicion placed on you. Keep in mind you and he will need to keep up appearances, it may raise suspicion if you are friends upon arrival."

Hermione nodded her understanding, her and Draco were to return to being enemies at the very least in the public eye.

"Now, there is the matter of your mark, we don't want to risk it being exposed on accident. I am sure you can perform a suitable concealment charm?" She nodded. "Good do not forget to cast it every day one slip could cost us everything."

A thought came to Hermione's mind and she couldn't stop herself from blurting it out. "Am I to spy on the Order?"

Voldemort chuckled, something Hermione had never heard but was surprised to find that it was almost enjoyable.

"No Hermione, I do not expect you to spy, I expect you to survive. As cruel a man I may be, you are the last of my flesh and blood, should I fall you shall take my place. I would not let you do such a lowly job as a spy. Do not mistake me in thinking that I do not appreciate my spies, they are some of my most valuable men and women, but you are above such positions. Speaking of spies, Severus will be in charge of your protection detail. Draco, Blaise Zambini and Pansy Parkinson will keep eyes on you throughout the school and report back to him who will report back to me."

"But Professor Snape…" Hermione began.

"I am well aware that you believe he is truly on the side of the light but I have my own reasons to trust him."

Hermione decided that it was best not to press the issue.

" One last thing Hermione, I have received a petition for your hand in marriage."

Hermione was floored. "Excuse me?"

"As I am sure you are aware from your reading, marriage contracts are a part of our world and as your father all proposals go through me. I have accepted the proposal, however I will insist that the marriage does not take place until after you graduate from Hogwarts."

Hermione was outraged on the inside but seemed unable to physically show the emotion. She knew this was a possibility but she hadn't thought that it would happen so soon.

"And who am I to marry?" She managed to grit the words out without yelling which was a miracle.

"Draco Malfoy."

Her heart stopped.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! I got pretty busy for a bit there. I know this chapter is a bit shorter but I really just wanted to get it out there for you guys. Don't forget to leave a review!**

"No."

"Excuse me." Voldemort was spitting fire from his eyes as Hermione stood up to meet his gaze.

"I said no, I have let you control my life as you wished against my will but this is where I put my foot down. I will not marry someone because you have decided it!" Her nostrils flared in anger as she stood up to Voldemort for the first time since she found out she was his daughter.

"YOU WILL DO AS I SAY, I AM YOUR FATHER AND MY WORD IS LAW!"

"Biologically I am your daughter but you are NOT my father, my father was the muggle who raised me. I want nothing to do with you!"

Voldemort became deadly quiet and sat down at his desk. Hermione still stood, determined not to back down even though her heart was racing in fear.

"You will marry Draco, or you shall face the consequences. I simply had those muggles memories wiped but if you do not do as I say I will make you watch as I torture and kill them and they won't even know who you are." His voice was steady yet quiet as he looked her in the eyes.

Hermione's breath caught and tears began to flow down her porcelain cheeks. "You are a monster." She turned and fled the office breaking into a run until she reached her room and threw herself onto her bed now sobbing uncontrollably.

She had no choice; she couldn't let him kill her family, not when there was a chance for her to save them. Voldemort really was a charmer. How could she have believed for even a second that he could have actually been human? She had been fooled by him just like countless before her.

She felt the bed shift as someone sat on the bed beside her she whipped around jumping on her feet ready for a fight when her eyes met those of Rudolphous. She immediately burst into tears again and he stood enveloping her in a tight hug.

She cried into his shoulder for what felt like a lifetime before she pulled away wiping the tears from her eyes. "I don't want to marry him." She whispered.

"My dear Hermione, Draco is good man, you could do much worse. Perhaps you should give the boy a chance. I was under the impression you were getting along?"

"It's a tentative friendship at best; he's still the boy who constantly made me feel like I was less than dirt. I can't marry someone I do not love, but I also can't sacrifice those I do."

"I know you won't like hearing this, but you will learn to love him, just as I learned to love Bella. But at least you will have the time to get to know one another beforehand." He looked at her sadly and pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"I don't want to learn to love him, love can't be forced." She looked up at him defiantly.

"Do you have any other choice?"

Hermione considered this, did she have another choice? She certainly couldn't tell Dumbledore in hopes that he could save her parents without revealing herself. Even if she tried to find them herself and warn them to hide they wouldn't know who she was. Hermione hung her head as she realized that she really didn't have a choice. She had to marry Draco.

"It's not fair!"

"Most times you will find that life never is little one."

* * *

The next three days passed by slowly, Hermione had once again confined herself to her room refusing to come down even for meals. A few had come to visit her but she wouldn't speak to anyone. Voldemort had left the Manor the night of their argument and she hadn't heard from him since, not that she cared.

They were leaving for Kings Cross that morning and Hermione packed what few belongings she had in her trunk along with all of her school supplies. She rode in an enchanted car to the station by herself as she couldn't be seen arriving with the Malfoys.

When she reached platform 9 ¾ she looked around her for any sign of Harry and Ron. Before long she had located the Weasley Clan and headed over to the gaggle of red heads nervously holding her arm that had the concealed Dark Mark.

"Hermione!" Ginny caught sight of her first and rushed to embrace her. "How was your holiday?"

"It was….good." Hermione managed to get out giving Ginny a fake smile.

Concern flashed in Ginny's eyes but it was quickly replaced by excitement again. "Come on, Ron and Harry have been dying to see you!"

Ginny grabbed her hand and dragged her over to where the rest of the family was standing.

"Mione!" She was instantly crushed by the two boys and a genuine grin spread across her face as she embraced them back. She hadn't realized until this moment just how much she had missed these boys and it took everything she had not to cry from happiness.

They chatted for a few minutes, the boys telling her all about their summers and her telling them lies about hers. It was difficult for Hermione to lie to them but she didn't have any choice so she made up stories about her trip to Greece and they seemed to believe every word.

Soon enough the train whistle blew and they hurried to get on board waving goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They made their way through the train looking for a compartment when someone bumped into Hermione.

She looked up into stormy grey eyes and gulped. She hadn't seen him since the day she was told that she was to marry him; she had hoped that she could just continue to avoid him but that hope was quickly dashed.

"Watch where you're going Granger." He sneered at her but it didn't quite meet his eyes. He pushed roughly past her and continued walking down the hall.

Harry and Ron looked as though they might go after him but Hermione quickly stopped them.

"Come on boys let's just go find somewhere to sit down. They nodded, although a bit begrudgingly and followed her into a compartment.

* * *

They arrived at Hogwarts shortly, they entered the great hall and watched the first years be sorted, the headmaster said his piece and the food appeared on the tables, however everyone in the hall noticed the empty seat at the heads table.

Whispers filled the hall wondering if perhaps Dumbledore had not been able to find a new Defense against the Dark Arts professor. As dinner progressed the whispers died down and people concentrated on eating and catching up with their friends.

Hermione on the other hand was watching the staff table rather closely. Dumbledore did not look happy and neither did McGonagall, in fact it look as though the two were currently having a heated yet quiet argument.

She turned her focus back on to Harry and Ron who were deep in conversation about this seasons quidditch matches. She sighed and pushed around the food on her plate not feeling all that hungry. When the food cleared Hermione looked back up to the head table as Dumbledore stood to address the school once again.

"My dear students I am sure that you have noticed the absence of our new Defense against the Dark Arts professor. Unfortunately I was not able to procure one before the deadline this year. So as per protocol the board of governors will be appointing one for us. I have been informed that he or she will be arriving tomorrow in time for breakfast. So on that note I bid you adieu, sleep tight!"

As the students stood to leave, the hall erupted into speculations as to who the new professor would be. Hermione had a sinking feeling in her gut that she knew exactly who it would be but she decided to keep this to herself as they made their way to the common room.

After making excuses to the boys that she was tired, she went to her dorm and closed the curtains around her bed. She pulled out the box of letters from her trunk and took a deep breath as she reached for the next one.

* * *

_Dear Tom,_

_It was lovely to see you at the graduation ceremony, thank you for the necklace it really was a lovely gift. I did so enjoy our talk, although as you know I do not always agree with you I do find the conversation very stimulating which is something that most seem to lack._

_My brother mentioned that you will be joining us soon for the summer? If so we really most have more of our little chats. Anyway to answer some of your questions, I am doing well and have sent my application to St. Mungo's for an apprenticeship. My brother offered to use some of his contacts to help me get in but I decided I would rather get in on my own achievements, do you think that I was foolish in doing so? _

_Well I suppose I should turn in, I'm meeting with Bella tomorrow morning to discuss wedding plans so I must get some sleep!_

_Your friend, Mira_

* * *

Hermione yawned as she folded the letter and placed it in the box. She laid back into her soft pillows and contemplated the short letter. Her mother had wanted to get into an apprentice on her own, which surprised Hermione seeing as she was from a prominent pureblood family. Most would have taken the easy way, but her mother had decided to take the harder road. This made Hermione happy; perhaps her mother wasn't the pureblood elitist that she had envisioned.

Hermione slowly drifted to sleep, her thoughts circling around her mother.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter**

**A/N: Here is the next chapter for you guys with a little more Draco/Hermione interaction. Hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to leave me a review they help to inspire me!**

* * *

The next morning Hermione made her way down to breakfast with the boys who were discussing who they thought would be the next DADA teacher. They didn't seem to notice Hermione's silence. She knew that she should be ecstatic about being back with her two best friends but she couldn't shake the feeling that she just didn't belong anymore.

She had always known that she was the odd one out in their group, she was intelligent and a book worm, they were well, not stupid but definitely lazy when it came to school work and it seemed all they cared about was sports. In fact she was sure Ron would spontaneously combust if he ever actually read a real book. But she had never felt this disconnected from them before.

Was the only reason that she had found out she was Voldemort's daughter? Or was it more than that? Had she simply outgrown her two best friends? She couldn't be sure; all she knew was that she found herself longing to be in the company of someone who appreciated her for more than her ability to do their homework for them.

She trailed behind the boys as they entered the Great Hall and ran into them when they abruptly stopped.

"What the…?" But Hermione wasn't able to finish her thought as she followed the boy's eyes to the heads table.

Sitting there amongst the other teachers was none other than Lucius Malfoy. Her stomach dropped as her suspicions from last night were confirmed. Ron had turned a nasty purple color, clenching his fists and mumbling profanities under his breath. Harry just stood stalk still fury evident in his eyes.

Before Hermione could do anything to stop him Harry marched straight up to Dumbledore. But before Harry could say anything Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him.

"Mr. Potter I think it would be best if you went and ate your breakfast. Anything you need to say can be said privately in my office at a later time." He gave a Harry a meaningful look and turned back to continue his conversation with Professor Flitwick. Harry stared at the back of Dumbledore's head still fuming. Hermione grabbed his arm and went to pull him away.

"Don't touch me!" Harry yanked his arm away from Hermione and roughly pushed past her. She gripped the chair closest to her to stop herself from stumbling.

She stared after him the hurt evident in her eyes. Dumbledore seemed to have either missed the incident or was simply choosing to ignore it.

"Are you quite alright Ms. Granger?" She whipped her head around to see that Lucius Malfoy was the one addressing her.

She nodded and quickly turned around and walked over to her house table choosing to sit next to Ginny rather than with the boys who were a few seats down.

"You okay Mione?" Ginny inquired.

"Yeah I'm fine." It came out sharper than she had meant it and she instantly regretted it. She liked Ginny she really did.

"If you ever need to talk just come find me okay?" Ginny laid her hand on Hermione's arm and looked at her with worry.

"Thanks Gin." Hermione went back to her breakfast and attempted to force herself to eat a bit of toast.

Soon enough the schedules were being passed around and she heard various groans coming from the students around her. She glanced to her own schedule and saw what the problem was. First class of the day was double potions with the Slytherins followed immediately by DADA also with the Slytherins.

Well this certainly was looking to be a cheery start to the year. She sighed and rested her head in her hands feeling a rather large headache coming on. Hermione felt an odd sensation like she was being watched. She looked up and scanned the hall when her eyes reached those familiar grey ones. Draco was looking at her oddly enough with a small amount of concern.

She shook her head slightly sure she had been imagining it and rose to leave the table. Nobody noticed as she slipped out of the hall, or at least she had thought. She got three floors up before she heard someone calling her name quietly.

She turned around and saw that Draco had followed her. "What do you want Malfoy?" She had enough to deal with right now did he really need to add to it right now.

"Relax, Granger. I have a letter for you." He held out an envelope to her. She took it quickly shoving it into her bag.

"Um…thanks." She said slightly flustered.

"Look Granger I'm just as happy about this situation as you are but we don't have a choice so maybe you should stop moping before you start attracting attention to yourself." With that he turned on his heel and walked back down the hall.

_Ugh, why do boys have to be so frustrating! _She continued up the hall and reached Gryffindor tower. She still had 3o minutes before she had to be at Potions so she made her way to her dorm and plopped on her bed pulling out the envelope from her bed.

* * *

_Daughter,_

_By now you will know that Lucius Malfoy has joined the Hogwarts staff. I did not feel that your training would be continued enough with the regular class curriculum so I thought it would be beneficial for Lucius to take the post. _

_I still expect regular letters from you to inform me of your progress._

_Sincerely your Father._

* * *

Hermione crumpled up the letter and threw it into the air and shot a spell at it which incinerated it.

He was still trying to control her life! Deep down she knew he would but that didn't make it any easier. He just had to go that one step further to keep her under his thumb. She was so angry! She wanted to throw things and cry and just give in to the fury. But she knew that she couldn't, she had to regain control.

She had to put on a fake smile and go to class and pretend that everything was okay. She had to pretend that on the inside she wasn't screaming or wanting to pull her hair out. No, she had to go out there just like normal like her entire world wasn't crashing down around her.

She took three deep breaths, squared her shoulders, and left the room.

* * *

When she reached the dungeons there was already a crowd of students waiting for the door to be opened. She quickly found Harry and Ron and walked over to them. Harry was still in a bad mood and just glared at the door as if he was hoping it would burst into flames. Ron seemed to be doing a bit better.

"Hey Mione where did you run off to?" Ron asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I uh… forgot my potions book so I ran up to get it." Ron seemed to accept this answer and just nodded.

The doors opened and the students filed in. Everyone took their seats and waited for the class to start. Snape was his normal sourly self throughout the class. Taking points from the Gryffindor's and awarding points to the Slytherins both for virtually no reason.

Neville melted another cauldron and Hermione was finishing up their potion mostly by herself as usual. Maybe it was lack of sleep or lack of food but Hermione found herself getting more and more irritated with every word out of Harry and Ron's mouths. They were once again arguing about quidditch, the final straw was when during their argument Ron bumped into the cauldron spilling some of the potion on to her lap causing her legs to break out with boils.

"God damn it Ron! Watch what you're doing!" Her eyes began to well up with tears as the pain of the boils increased.

"Sorry Mione I didn't mean to." To his credit Ron did look pretty ashamed but Hermione was past her limit.

"Of course not, you never _mean _to do anything! Next time make the damn potion yourself! I am sick of doing everything for you two!"

"Mrs. Granger! 50 points from Gryffindor for your language, and detention this Saturday. Mr. Malfoy escort Ms. Granger to the hospital wing and get her out of my sight." Snape was glaring at her nostrils flaring at her outburst.

"Fine!" Hermione turned and limped out of the classroom with Draco following close behind.

Once they were out of classroom she felt Draco grab her arm and wrap it around his shoulders and wrapped an arm around her waist helping her to walk. She looked around to make sure there were no students in sight, as soon as she was sure that they were alone she spoke.

"Thanks Draco." After their conversation this morning she had had some time to reflect on what he said. He was right; he was in the same boat as her, being forced to marry someone he barely knew. Perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible if they at least continued their friendship from the summer.

"Don't mention it." He gave her a small squeeze. "You know I hate to admit it but I kind of miss our little study sessions."

Hermione laughed. "What sitting in silence while we each read? Oh yes it was so much fun." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. She winced when she stepped down wrong causing pain to shoot up her leg.

He gripped her a little tighter and shifted her so that he took on a little more of her weight. They continued on in silence until they were almost to the hospital wing at which time they separated.

"Well I should be getting back to class see you later Granger. He gave her a small smirk before turning and heading back toward the dungeons.

Hermione limped the rest of the way to the hospital wing and opened the door.

"My goodness! What in the world happened dear?" Madame Pomfrey rushed her into the closest bed.

"Potions accident." Hermione managed to grit out as the older woman dabbed a greenish liquid onto the boils causing them to burn even more.

Madame Pomfrey tutted as she worked on Hermione's legs. She wrapped them up and gave her a potion to help with the pain.

"Well young lady it looks like your going to be spending the night here. I want to keep an eye on those boils until I'm sure they've healed properly."

Hermione groaned. "But I'm going to miss the rest of my classes."

"I'm sorry young lady but I must insist." She gave Hermione another potion which she tossed back trying not to let the bitter liquid touch her tongue.

She began to feel drowsy as the potion began to take hold and she fell into deep sleep.

* * *

_Tap Tap Tap._ Hermione groggily opened her eyes looking around for the source of the tapping when she heard it again coming from above her head. She groaned and sat up. There was an owl at the window behind her bed. She turned slowly and opened up the window just enough to let the bird in. It must have been rather late, it was dark outside and there was no sign of the elderly mediwitch.

The black owl landed in her lap and hooted softly lifting up a leg to give her the letter that was attached. She took the offered note and gave the owl a couple pets.

"Sorry I don't have any treats for you." The owl gave an annoyed sounding hoot and took off again through the window.

Hermione opened the letter and smiled as she read it.

_H,_

_If you want to continue our "reading together in silence" meet me in the room of requirement tomorrow night after dinner._

_D._

Hermione smiled and folded up the letter and stuffed it into her bag that was hanging up next to the bed. She winced a little, the pain still in her legs. She glanced over to the side table and she found both a pain potion and a sleeping potion sitting there. She pinched her nose and took both before settling back into the bed and drifting off to sleep once again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter.**

**A/N: Another chapter? Damn I'm on a roll! Well I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

Hermione was released the next morning right before breakfast so she had a little time to herself. She walked up to the library and picked out a book before sitting in her usual spot towards the back next to a large bay window. She was completely engrossed in her book and didn't notice that someone had taken the seat directly in front of her until they cleared their voice.

Her head snapped up and she found herself face to face with Lucius Malfoy.

"Can I help you professor?" She said the last with a touch of distaste.

"Tsk tsk Ms. Riddle I would expect you to have a bit more respect than that for a professor." He smirked at her almost exactly the same way that Draco would. She looked around the room quickly when he had said her last name.

"It's Granger." She hissed.

"Don't worry I cast a silencing spell, no one but us can hear this conversation. You missed my class yesterday."

"I was in the hospital wing as I'm sure your son informed you." She had no idea where this conversation was going but she was hoping it would be over soon.

"Yes I had heard about that." He frowned. "The Dark Lord was not pleased to hear of it and sends his best wishes."

Hermione snorted. "I'm sure he wasn't."

Lucius considered her for a moment before speaking again. "Your father isn't as heartless as I'm sure you think he is. He is simply looking out for your best interests."

"Oh I have no doubt; after all why else would he send a babysitter to make sure I do exactly as he wants me to?"

Lucius chuckled. "Think what you will. By the way your detention on Saturday will be served with me at 8 pm. Sharp. Oh and one more thing Ms. Riddle. I assigned partners for a group project yesterday. Your partner is Pansy Parkinson, you are to research non-verbal counter spells at the end of term I expect you both to be able to perform them in front of the class which I'm sure will not be a problem for you."

In a sweep of his robes he turned and left the library. Hermione groaned, Pansy, really? He had to be joking; did he really think that they could so much as be in the same room as each other without wanting to rip each other to pieces?

* * *

The rest of her day went by slowly, she avoided the boys the best she could not wanting to deal with them today. She had a brief encounter with Pansy where they agreed to meet in the library after lunch on the weekends. Neither was particularly happy with the arrangement but they didn't have much of a choice.

Finally right before dinner the boys cornered her on her way to the Great Hall. She sighed as she realized that she couldn't avoid them any longer and turned to face them.

"Look I'm sorry for avoiding you but right now I just need some me time."

"Hermione we're really sorry about yesterday, but we're worried about you. You haven't been yourself since we got to Hogwarts." Harry said.

"I'm just going through some stuff right now. No I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry if I've been distant but I just need to sort this out on my own."

Ron seemed to accept this nodding and looking ashamed once again but Harry who had always been the more level headed one of the two seemed to be on the verge of yelling again.

"Fine, Hermione if you can't talk to us then maybe we should just leave you alone but don't expect us to come running at your beck and call because I am done trying. When you are ready to be a real friend again come and find me." He then turned and stormed into the hall Leaving both Hermione and Ron standing in shock.

"I'm sorry Mione I don't know what's got into him lately, I'll try to talk to him." Hermione nodded at Ron who began to walk away to try and catch up with Harry. Hermione stood there in the Hall as tears filled her eyes. She turned away From the Great Hall and ran. She ran and kept running not really knowing where she was going until she found herself on the 7th floor staring at a blank space of wall.

She began to pace in front of the wall repeating one phrase over and over in head. _I need a place to vent, I need a place to vent. _A door appeared in the wall and Hermione stepped through. She was surprised at what she saw in the room. It was very similar to the room when they were doing the DA.

There were practice dummies lining the walls and moving target floating around the room. On one wall were several book shelves which upon inspection held books on curses and counter curses. Many of them were surprisingly dark. Something that you would have never found in the Hogwarts Library.

Hermione squared her shoulders, pulled out her wand and set to work cursing everything in sight. Soon the moving targets began to fire at her and she was dodging, rolling and firing all at the same time. She was working up quite the sweat and lost track of time. She felt all her pent up anger, rage, and heart ache melt away as she blasted away the targets one at a time. They took on the faces of different people in her life. Voldemort, Bellatrix, Lucius, even Harry. Finally she incinerated the final target and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

A slow clap from behind her caused her to whip around pointing her wand at the intruder.

"Whoa don't fire!" Draco stood near the door hands in the air flashing his trademark smirk with a twinkle of humor in his eyes.

Hermione dropped her hand and walked over to a small couch that appeared near the book cases and collapsed into the plush cushions. Draco walked over and conjured a glass of water and handed it to Hermione sitting on the couch directly opposite of her.

"Well this is certainly a familiar scene." Draco said as he conjured himself another glass of water.

Hermione gave a weak laugh and sipped at her drink. The cold water soothing her dry throat.

"Bad day?" He inquired.

"You could say that." Draco nodded at her response and summoned a book from one of the shelves and began to read.

Hermione smiled as she watched him. He really was something else. Perhaps this whole thing wouldn't be as bad as initially imagined. At least they weren't at each other's throats any more.

"Can I help you?" Draco set down his book and Hermione realized that she had been caught staring.

"You know Harry and Ron would have pestered me until I fessed up what was wrong." Draco chuckled at this.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not them then isn't it? If you wanted to talk about it you would." He picked his book back up and continued to read.

Hermione smiled, summoning a book for herself and curled up on the couch to read.

* * *

A couple hours later Hermione looked up to the clock and gasped as she realized it was an hour past curfew. Draco saw her panic and put his book away.

"Come on I'll walk you back to your common room." Hermione nodded also putting her book down and grabbed her bag.

They walked in silence down the corridors, Hermione was reminded of their time back at the Manor. It was comfortable.

"So did you want to talk about it then?" Draco said quietly looking around to make sure there were no teachers around.

"It was just a stupid fight with Harry and Ron. They don't understand that sometimes I just need some space." She sighed and rubbed her temples as they walked.

Draco stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "You know I never did understand your friendship. You guys are polar opposites how did that even come about? If I remember correctly you guys pretty much hated each other at first."

"Yeah we kind of did, they said some pretty hurtful things. But they saved my life from that troll and we just sort of became friends after that."

"Shh!" Draco quickly pulled her into a small alcove behind a tapestry. They both remained very quiet as they heard footsteps not 5 feet away from them. When they were certain they had passed, they both breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't until then that they realized how close they were. Draco had pushed her against the wall and their faces were only inches apart. They were both breathing deeply and her hands were on his chest. They both stepped away from each other quickly neither looking the other in the eye.

"We should um…" Hermione mumbled.

"Right, let's go."

They both walked out into the hall and hurried up to the portrait of the fat lady where they awkwardly parted ways.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by quickly, Harry still wasn't talking to her and even Ron was keeping his distance. Classes went on as usual, and every night she would go to the room of requirement and blow off steam by blasting away targets. It made her feel much better than she could have ever imagined. Then Draco would show up and they would read in silence together although now they were much more careful about leaving before curfew.

Saturday came faster than she liked. Today was the day she would start working on her project with Pansy and the day of her detention with Professor Malfoy. After lunch Hermione slowly made her way up to the library.

She picked out a few books on non-verbal casting and sat down in her usual spot, cracking open one of the books while she waited. Even though she already knew a great deal about it and could even cast non-verbal fairly proficiently now a little bit of brushing up couldn't hurt.

After a few minutes Pansy arrived slamming down her bag on one the chairs.

Let's get a few things straight here Granger." Pansy began. Hermione stopped her for a moment knowing where this was going and cast a quick silencing spell and then motioned her to continue.

"Just because you're his daughter doesn't mean that I dislike you any less. And I am most certainly not going to be doing any of your work for you, I don't care if you're the Queen of England you can do it yourself." She finished in a huff as she plopped down in a chair.

"I don't expect you to. I'm just as upset about this as you are. Let's just get this over with. You take this book and and I'll take this one let's just write down notes and we'll compare them later." Hermione tossed her one of the books that she had found.

Pansy eyed her with distaste before reluctantly taking the book and pulled out a notebook and quill. They sat in silence for a couple hours each taking notes and ignoring the other. Finally Hermione closed her book and rubbed her eyes which had become rather dry from lack of blinking while she read. She heard Pansy sigh and close her book also.

Without a word Pansy put her notebook back in her bag and left the library. _Well that could have gone worse. _She thought to herself. She sighed and packed up her things deciding to go out for a walk before dinner.

When she got outside she took some deep breaths and relished in the feeling of the sun on her face. She decided to walk down to the lake and when she got there she carefully removed her shoes and knee highs and sat down burying her feet in the sand. It was starting to get a bit chilly out but the sand still held some warmth that had been absorbed throughout the day.

She was immersed in her thoughts when someone sat down next to her. Ginny had also pulled off her shoes and had buried her feet in the sand alongside Hermione.

'I heard about your fight with Harry, you doing okay?" Ginny looked at her concernedly.

"Yeah I'm fine, just sort of rethinking things I guess. Neither of them have done much growing up and I just don't know if I can handle that anymore." Hermione sighed and closed her eyes taking a deep breath.

Ginny thought about this for a moment trying to chose her words carefully. "Merlin knows I love my brother and Harry but I can see your point. I think they just don't appreciate what they have with you. Maybe this time apart will make them realize just how amazing you are. Give them some time Hermione, they'll come around, they always do."

Hermione smiled sadly. "Maybe you're right."

They continued to sit in silence and Hermione was thinking about what Ginny had said. Maybe she was right maybe this time apart would do them some good. But then maybe Hermione was the problem, maybe she was the one who wasn't going to come around. She loved Harry and Ron but they were growing apart. She wanted to pursue an academic career and they never seemed to think past the next quidditch match.

Before they had a common enemy that bonded them together, they had wanted to defeat Voldemort and his minions. But now, now she was one of the minions even if she couldn't help it. No matter how much she wished it wasn't true the mark on her arm would be the only thing they would need to turn against her. They were both rash and didn't think through their actions. They would disown and outcast her at the first inkling of who she was.

Maybe she should end things with them before they could find out. Maybe it would save her some of the heart break if she just started to distance herself now. It was better this way, she decided, even if it meant that she would be alone.

"Come on Hermione let's go it's almost time for dinner." Ginny stood offering her hand to Hermione.

Hermione took her hand and was pulled to her feet. They pulled on their socks and shoes and walk back towards the castle in comfortable silence.

* * *

After dinner Hermione made her way to the DADA classroom to start her detention. When she reached the classroom she knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

Hermione entered the office and looked around briefly. It look almost identical to the office at the manor. Dark wood paneling on the walls which were filled with expensive artwork and a large mahagony desk filled most of the room.

"Sit." He pointed to the chair in front of him and Hermione sat down cautiously. He dropped a stack of papers in front of her and handed her a quill and a pot of red ink. "You will be correcting the first and second years papers. You may leave when you are finished. Begin."

Hermione looked over the first paper and instantly knew by the amount of mistakes she found that it was going to be a very long night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter**

**A/N: Hey guys sorry it's been a while but I was having some wee computer issues but everything seems like it's back up and running! Hopefully I won't have any more issues. Now where were we? Ahh yes now I remember!**

* * *

Hermione had been grading papers for nearly two hours when she had finally finished. She sighed and pushed the stack of papers across the desk. Bringing her fingers to her temples she attempted to relieve the head ache that was throbbing behind her eyes. At least she now knew that she never wanted to be a teacher. It was quite obvious to her that some of the lower level students thought they could just write down utter nonsense and get a passing grade.

"May I be excused now Professor?" She looked up to the senior Malfoy who had been reading a book.

"Not quite yet Ms. Riddle." He looked up from his book and studied her for a moment.

"And in private please call me Lucius. I figured since we are going to be family one day that we should get to know one another. I will ask you questions and you will answer honestly. In return you may ask me whatever you wish and I will also answer truthfully. Do we have a deal?"

Hermione thought about his offer for a moment before deciding to accept. After all she may learn something useful. She nodded at him to continue.

"Very well then what do you wish to do beyond Hogwarts?" Hermione was surprised by the question.

It wasn't so much that she was surprised that he had asked but more surprised by the fact that she had no answer. She had spent all of her time in school learning everything she could get her hands on but she had never really thought of what she would do with all that knowledge.

"Well, to be honest I haven't given it much thought. I suppose I would like to continue learning maybe go to University."

Lucius nodded while conjuring up some tea and handed her a cup. "I thought as much."

"Alright then my turn. Why do you want me to marry to Draco?"

"Besides the fact that you are the Dark Lords daughter I assume?" Hermione nodded.

"Despite what you may think, I do love my son. I am not so cold as to be incapable of love as some may have you believe. During your time at the Manor I kept a very close eye on you. I saw your interactions with my son. You push each other, and not just in the way of rivalry. You push each other to become better and what more could I ask for my son?"

Hermione was taken aback at this. She had no idea that Lucius had been watching them. As for the rest, she supposed they did push each other but that in no way meant that they were good for each other.

"Why is it that you are so adamantly against marrying my son?"

Hermione's choked on her tea. She really hadn't expected that question.

"He's a bully. He's never been anything but unkind to me since the day I stepped foot into Hogwarts. Only when he found out that I wasn't a mudblood did his attitude change. But the biggest reason is simply that I do not love him."

Lucius contemplated this before replying. "Draco is, unfortunately his father's son. I will admit that I was not always the best father. I was very hard on Draco when he was a boy and I fear he became a spiteful and spoiled brat because of it. Last year I realized that my son was becoming just like me and that is not what I want for my son."

"Why do you support my father? Why all the hate for muggleborns?"

"I knew that you would eventually ask me that. There was a prophecy made long ago by a witch by the name of Morgan Le Fay. I assume you have heard of her?"

Hermione nodded. She knew the legend of Morgana, she was a powerful witch during Arthurian times. It was rumored that she and Merlin had been in love but they were on opposite sides of a great war which deemed her as evil and Merlin as good. In the end Morgana had thrown herself from a tower out of grief from being separated from her one true love.

"Not many were aware of the fact that Morgan Le Fay was a seer. In this prophesy it is said that when muggles learn of magic that their jealousy will become so great that they will wipe out the magical population."

"What does that have to do with muggleborns?"

"Think about it Hermione. The more muggles that know about magic the greater our risk of exposure is. Why do you think there are laws prohibiting magic in front of Muggles? It all goes back to this prophesy. But through the years we have become lax in keeping up with them. Muggleborns have muggle parents. If those parents decided to they could expose us all."

"So your solution is to deny those born with magic the right to learn it and kill their families?" Hermione could feel her temper starting to rise again.

"It is not ideal, this I will admit, but all we are trying to do is preserve our way of life. Already has the muggle influence taken away some of our greatest traditions. Our magic isn't the only thing at stake. Our culture is dying away."

"There has to be another way, a better way."

Lucius just shook his head and sighed. "Hermione I can't force you to change your way of thinking, no one can, not even your father. But I would suggest that you think about what I have said. We are trying to preserve our way of life not destroy the muggles'."

Hermione stood to leave; she didn't want to hear anymore. "You're right, you can't change me." She then turned and left the room.

* * *

Monday rolled around again before Hermione was ready for it. She had secluded herself in her dorm for the rest of the weekend not really wanting to talk to anyone. She had done a lot of thinking in that time. No matter if she were mudblood or pureblood, she was her own person and her bloodline didn't dictate who she had to be.

She decided that she would trust no one but herself from now on. Her world was becoming too confusing and she felt like her life was spinning out of control. She wished that she could just start over, that she could view everyone with a fresh perspective. Without preconceived notions about how the world should be.

When she woke on Monday her mind was made. She would try her best to see everyone as they were and take it from there. She headed to the Great Hall on her own as everyone had already left. When she was walking through the corridors she halted abruptly at the sound of menacing laughter.

"What's wrong snake? I told you to pick it up. Or is there something wrong with your hands?" Hermione's heart sank, she knew that voice.

She turned the corner and gasped. "Harry Potter! What do you think you're doing?!" She rushed over to a small boy who was cowering against the wall, his hands swollen ten times their normal size and covered in boils.

"He knocked into me and made me drop my books, I'm simply making him clean up his mess." Malice flashed in his green eyes, something Hermione had never seen in them before.

There was a small crowd gathered behind Harry that consisted of mostly Gryffindor's who were chuckling as he spoke.

"You think this is funny?!" Anger welled up in her chest as she wrapped an arm around the second year protectively. "Shame on all of you! Especially you Harry, what has gotten into you?!"

A few of the students had the decency to look ashamed while others simply stared at her.

"Me? What has gotten into you Hermione? Since when do you care about Slytherins?" Harry spat out coldly.

"This isn't about houses Harry! You have no right to torture this poor boy!" Hermione couldn't believe that Harry was actually trying to justify his actions. This was not the boy who she had once called friend.

"Of course it's about houses Hermione! He is a Slytherin, Slytherins are evil and this is a war. Maybe you should check and see which side you are on."

Letting go of the boy, Hermione marched straight up to Harry and slapped him as hard as she could. She raised her hand to slap him again but he grabbed her wrist and brought her closer to him and what he said next chilled her to the core.

"I know what you are Hermione, Dumbledore told me everything, you better decide which side of this war you are going to be on, otherwise you should watch your back." He then released her and slammed his shoulder into hers as he walked away knocking her to the ground.

She sat there in shock as she watched him stalk down the corridor. How could he know? How did Dumbledore know? Panic began to swell in chest and she could feel herself start to hyperventilate.

"Are you okay?" Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet the second years who was looking at her with concern.

Taking a deep breath she stood on wobbly legs. "I'm fine, are you alright?"

The boy nodded. "Good, now let's get you to the hospital wing; I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will have your hands fixed up in a jiffy."

* * *

"Are you sure he knows?" Lucius was pacing back and forth in his office.

"I'm sure, what else could he have meant?" Hermione was sitting down on one of wing backed chairs trying to hold back the tears as she recounted the earlier events.

"Dumbledore must have known this whole time. He's probably had you under surveillance for years. Damn it! Are you sure no else heard Harry say it?"

"He whispered it, they couldn't have heard." Hermione rubbed her wrist where Harry had grabbed it earlier. An angry purple bruise was beginning to form in the place where his fingers were.

"We must contact your father immediately." Lucius pulled a small brown box out of one of his drawers and from that box he produced a silver hand mirror. "I need to speak to him in private, go to the room of requirement; I will send Draco to meet you there. Stay put until I contact you."

Hermione nodded numbly and quickly left the room. She didn't meet anyone in the halls as most classes were already in session. When she finally made it to the room of requirement she plopped down onto a soft couch and curled into herself and just let the tears flow.

How could this happen? It was only the second week of school and already she would have to leave. She sat there with her head buried in her arms and sobbed. She didn't even hear the door open or feel that someone had sat down beside her until an arm came around her shoulders and stroked her hair.

She looked up to meet grey eyes filled with concern. In that moment she forgot about how much she had hated him, she forgot how angry she was that she was being forced to marry him, and just let him hold her. She turned into his chest and cried softly, he just kept stroking her hair and told her that everything was going to be alright.

She wished with all her heart that she could believe him. But she knew that nothing would be the same after this. They sat there for almost an hour before Lucius arrived.

"You are to stay here. Your father believes that Dumbledore will not make a move inside his own school. You are to go about like nothing has happened; however, you are not to travel the corridors alone. Where ever you go Draco or one of his friends will follow. They will keep their distance but they will have eyes on you."

Hermione was shocked; she thought for sure that she would have been whisked back to the Manor without a second thought. "Why not just have me leave? Wouldn't it be safer that way?"

"Do you wish to leave?" Hermione thought about this for a moment.

"No, I want to stay." She couldn't let them think that she gave up that easily. After all it was almost as if Harry was giving her a choice. He had said to pick which side she was on. Perhaps this was a test to see where her loyalties lay. Well the joke is on them because at this point in time the only side she was on was her own.


End file.
